


Discovering Blue

by KQHazel



Category: Life with Derek
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Drowning, F/M, Soul Bond, Soulmate AU, Soulmates, Soulmates AU, drowning tw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:28:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29074086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KQHazel/pseuds/KQHazel
Summary: In a universe where people only see in black-and-white until they kiss their soulmate and discover colours, Casey worries she’ll never meet her someone
Relationships: Casey McDonald & Derek Venturi, Casey McDonald/Derek Venturi
Comments: 17
Kudos: 72





	Discovering Blue

**Author's Note:**

> TW - drowning
> 
> Dear Dasey Discord,  
> I know I said I would write smut, but I slipped and wrote this soulmate AU accidentally instead

Colours.

Casey had heard about them a thousand times. Ever since her mother had come back from that second date with George, she had tried to describe to them what it was like to see beyond the grayscale. That night, Casey had ordered a book of colours for Nora to help her learn which were which, and she had told Casey that her eyes were blue. Casey knew that the ocean was blue, and the sky and the forget-me-nots in the park, but those were just facts on paper to her and not something she could really comprehend.

Some people never saw colour. That didn't mean they had never met their soulmate necessarily because some soulmates were platonic, and the only way to reveal colour was to share a first kiss with your soulmate. There was something so incredibly romantic about this, but it also led to a great deal of disappointment.

Casey - being the romantic she was - had fantasised her entire life about that perfect moment. How her one true love would take her in her arms, kiss her and she would open her eyes to see... well, whatever colour was. She convinced herself that every guy she fell for would be that one, so whenever she had a first kiss and opened her eyes to the same black-and-white world, her heart sank just a little. First with Sam, then with Max and most recently Truman.

There was time. She knew that realistically. She was still so young. Nora had been almost forty-years-old when she met George, but Casey couldn't help but feel deflated by the knowledge that she could be one of those unlucky people who never found their special person. Or worse, found them and never knew it.

"Case," said Derek. "Scooch to the left. You're blocking my view."

Casey frowned, looking from Derek to the girls sunbathing nearby. He nodded his head at them and there was a burst of giggles.

"So gross," she grimaced, falling onto her towel. "They're not objects to stare at, Derek. They're human beings."

"Hey, _they're_ the ones checking me out," he said. "I'm just making it easier for them."

She rolled her eyes and tutted. Casey moved onto her stomach to even out her tan, holding her book in front of her face with her legs kicked out behind her.

"Casey," said Marti, remnants of ice-cream smeared around her mouth. "I want to go swimming. Can you take me?"

Casey sighed. "I just took you for ice-cream, Marti. Can't Lizzie take you?"

"Sorry, Marti," said Lizzie. "Ed and I are gonna check out the surf shop. We can go swimming when I get back."

"Smerek?"

He wasn't looking at the girls anymore, but they were looking at him. Derek laid back on his towel, hands behind his head and eyes closed, bathing in the warmth of the sun. Casey supposed he had a good body. Her eyes lingered slightly on his stomach before snapping up to his face.

" _Derek_ ," she snapped, hoping her moment of wandering eyes had gone unnoticed. "Marti wants you to swim with her."

"Not now, Smarti," he said, eyes still closed. "I'm busy. Ed, take Marti swimming."

Casey nudged his shoulder with her foot. "Liz and Ed aren't here."

"Then you do it."

"You can't tell me what to do," she frowned. "I just took Marti to get ice-cream. All I want is five minutes for myself, Derek. Is it too much to ask for you to just-?"

" _Okay_!" Derek's arms flexed as he pushed himself up to his feet. "Jeez, chill out, Space Case."

"Come on, Smerek!"

When Casey looked up from her book again, she saw Derek had stopped to talk to the group of girls while Marti was running towards the ocean. One of the girls was twirling her hair between her fingers, and Derek was running his own fingers through his hair coolly.

" _De-rek_!" called Casey shrilly. "You're supposed to be with Marti."

Derek threw his hands up in mock defence before turning back to the girls. He poked a thumb in Casey's direction, said something and the girls laughed heartily. Casey felt her cheeks warm, but before she could confront him, he had set off after Marti. The girls turned to look at her, annoyance painted over their faces, and Casey squirmed in discomfort, quickly turning her attention back to the pages of _Pride and Prejudice_.

It hadn't been more than five minutes when she heard the scream.

"Casey!"

Her head shot up. She could see Marti, dragging something through the water towards the shore. What was it? Her eyebrows furrowed, trying to identify the object. Her stomach churned.

"Derek," she whispered, horrified.

Casey threw her book down, pushed herself to her feet and ran towards them as quickly as she could. The sand flew up behind her where her feet kicked.

"Casey!" screamed Marti a second time.

Water splashed her bare legs as she took her first steps into the sea, but she hardly noticed the cool water or the sea breeze as she pulled Derek onto the shore. His eyes were closed.

"What happened?" cried Casey, leaning closer so she could hear if he was breathing.

There was nothing.

"I don't know!" Marti was crying now. "Do something!"

"I don't know how to-"

Casey took a deep breath. She did know what to do. She had taken a first-aid class a few summers before, but she never thought she would have to use it on someone she knew. On Derek.

"Okay," she said, voice shaking. "Come on, Derek."

She interlocked her fingers the way she had on CPR day. Nervously, she pushed down on Derek's wet chest. This was not the same as doing it on some CPR dummy. That had been so easy for her, but this was Derek. This was Derek and he was not breathing. If she was too soft, it wouldn't work, but if she was too hard, she could break his ribs or worse.

"Derek." Casey was halfway through compressions to no avail. "Wake _up_ , Derek."

His body remained lifeless as she went on. There was a gathering of people surrounding them now, but she hardly noticed them.

"Derek!" Casey vaguely heard Edwin shout, but it felt distant. They must have come back from the shop and followed the crowd, but there was no time to stop and comfort them.

Derek looked all wrong. He should have been smiling and saying something mean to her or winking at the girls who were watching them.

 _Make fun of me_ , she pleaded in her mind. _Say something awful and be an asshole to me right now. Just be okay._

"Derek, come back to me ," whispered Casey as she pinched the bridge of his nose and tilted his head backwards. "Please."

She put her lips above his and blew a breath into his mouth, and then another before pulling back, hovering a few inches above his face.

There was colour. It was all around her. In the corner of her eyes, she could see the tide drift towards them and vaguely thought, _so that's what blue is_. Derek was still.

This was not perfect. This was not the moment she had always dreamt of. This was meant to be a happy, magical moment under the stars after a picnic in the park or in the pouring rain after a night of dinner and dancing. Not this. Not her soulmate - not Derek with his lungs full of water and not waking up.

_Why wouldn’t he wake up?_

She fell into him, collapsing onto his bare chest. Gripping onto his shoulders as she sobbed.

He moved.

His shoulders jerked and her head shot up to look at him properly. He was coughing, eyes still shut, and water spilled from his mouth.

"Smerek!" beamed Marti. "You're okay!"

Casey placed her hand on his cheek, her heart light and full of relief. He opened his eyes finally.

There was a pause where they just looked at each other without words. Derek noticed Casey's cheeks were wet with tears.

"So," Derek managed eventually. "That's what **blue** is."


End file.
